Comfortably Numb
by Jane Doe
Summary: Clarification of Sara's past as it returns to haunt her. G/S relationship deepens. W/C solve gunshot case. r/r (first fanfic) Final Chapters!
1. Default Chapter

Comfortably Numb by Jane Doe 

CHARACTERS AREN'T MINE, I JUST WRITE ABOUT THEM. 

Prologue 

--It was one of those days. Sara Sidle was starved, irritated, and exhausted, which was not a great combination. She threw her keys and bag on the counter. She then closed her apartment door and gently leaned back on the door behind her. All she could think about was the cool bed awaiting her in the next room. Sara closed her eyes; she didn't even know if she could make it that far. 

"Hello, Sara. Long time no see." 

--Sara's eyes flew open. A man stood before her. He was attractive and of medium build. Definitely someone you would want to get to know. Unless you knew what he was really like, and Sara knew all too well. 

"Eric . . .?" 

--Before she could get out another word, Eric hit her with what looked like a baseball bat right across the face. Sara instantly fell to the floor with a sickening thud. He continued to hit and kick her ribs and back. All she could do was take each blow one after the other and pray none killed her. After the beating was over and Eric's anger dispensed, he went to get a beer from the fridge. 

"Ya know Sara, you haven't changed a bit. You still don't cook." Eric said with a short laugh. 

"Wha....What do you want??" Sara stammered. It took all her being to keep from passing out. 

"It turns out I'm getting married and we're moving to Las Vegas." 

"Who's the unlucky girl?" 

--With that, Eric moved over to Sara and pulled her to her feet. "You better watch your mouth Sara. I still have some issues, you and the courts decided that." 

"Screw you." Sara was prepared for the next blow, she didn't care anymore. She HATED him with all her might but could do nothing. She was powerless. 

"Sara, how should I say this? We've done that and I've moved on. Its over. This was a . . .farewell or payback take it as you want. Good-bye babe. Drop me a line." 

--Eric left as quietly as he came and Sara lost her grip on the consciousness and fell to the floor. 

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Chapter 1 

Next Morning 

"Sara pick up, its Grissom. Look we had a huge upset last night. I don't know all the details but its big. Brass said the FBI are going to get involved and you know how they can destroy the evidence. I know you just pulled a double, but we all did. I need you her as soon as possible. Sara...?" 

--Sara awoke still lying on the cold floor. She thought she could her Grissom speaking to her but she wasn't sure. 

"Sara pick up." 

--Grissom! It was the phone. Sara tried to get up but she couldn't. Her side hurt real bad, not to mention her head. 

"Well, call me when you get this message." 

--The answering machine made a beep and Sara gave up. She laid there for how long she didn't know. She woke up again and eventually she got to her feet this time. She stumbled to the bathroom to access the damage. Sara couldn't believe what she saw. She thought she should probably go to the hospital, but dismissed that. She knew Grissom, or for that matter everyone, would overreact and she wasn't ready to face that now. Then again, she couldn't hide forever until the shiner or the bruised ribs went away; she didn't have enough vacation days. She opted to phone Gris and take a personal day to get her thoughts together. 

"Grissom." 

"Hey Gris, its Sara." 

"Good I could really use you here. Did you get my message? I called almost two hours ago. Are you okay?" Grissom asked. 

"Yeah, but I can't come in I'm not feeling too good." 

"What is it? Upset stomach, headache, what? I've got the best treatment for each case." 

Sara looked in the mirror. "I doubt you have what I need." 

"If you come in just for a couple hours, I would really appreciate it. Just process the information the team brings in from the field. I got the details on the case but I don't want to discuss them over the phone. Brass is meeting with the FBI director now. If you really can't come in its okay. " 

Sara paused to think. "I'll be there as soon as I can, but only for a while." 

"I owe you one." 

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	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 

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"Greg, have you seen Sara? I called her four hours ago." Grissom was pissed for many reasons and Sara was now one of them. The FBI basically kicked him off the case, the sheriff threatened to fire him, Catherine, Warrick, and Nick were late with lunch and for the meeting, and now Sara was nowhere to be found. And on top of it all he had a headache. Damn. 

"Sorry boss." Greg said with his usual tenacity. "Wait isn't that her heading for the locker room?" 

Grissom spun around. "Sara!" He yelled. But she didn't even glance up. 

--Sara went through the possible stories that were feasible as to where she got her black eye. She tried forever to hide it with makeup but in the end it proved impossible. When she reached the locker room no one was there. Good no one around to parade her with questions. 

"Sara, didn't you hear me calling you. Where have you been? Is everything okay?" Grissom asked. 

So much for that thought. Grissom sounded pretty upset. "I told you I wasn't feeling too hot today." 

"You should have never come if you're that sick, Sara. In the future don't lead me to believe you're coming in right away if don't intend to." There was a pause of silence. "How do you feel now?" Grissom asked somewhat a little sorry he took out his frustration on her. 

"I'm fine. After I'm done I'll go straight to process the evidence." 

"No you won't, they took us off the case. I called the troops back for a brief meeting. They're coming with lunch. I hope you're hungry." 

"Starved." But Sara said this with little conviction. Grissom took this to heart and just noticed that Sara hadn't once looked him in the eyes. 

"Sara, could you do me a favor, and hand me that folder right next to you? Warrick asked me to get it." 

--He noticed that she tensed up immediately. 

"Sure." 

--She picked up the folder, and attempted to hand it to him without looking up. Her hair disguised the bruising until he grabbed her wrist and pushed her hair back from her face. 

"Sara, what happened to your eye!" Grissom looked on in utter disbelief. Sara's eye was black and blue from the lower part of her cheekbone to her eyebrow and there was a tiny cut were the skin split from impact. He had never seen her so bad before. Her skin was pasty white. She looked horrible. 

"I fell getting out of the shower and hit the sink pretty hard. I'm fine now. It just looks that bad. Really I'm fine or I wouldn't have come in," she lied. The only reason she came to work was because she didn't want to disappoint Grissom. His opinion of her was everything. 

"It looks 'that' bad because it is 'that' bad. You should have it looked at by a doctor. And don't say you've been already because I know you and you won't see a doctor for anything. By then its too late." 

"Gris, I'm not going to a doctor for a simple black eye." Sara exclaimed. 

"Its hardly a simple black eye," but Grissom knew he was fighting a battle he could not win. "Fine then, but you're not staying here, you're going home." Grissom said in defiance. 

--And with that Sara was escorted home by her boss and ordered to get some rest. She couldn't disagree with him. She needed it, she really did. 

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	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 

One Month Later 

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--Sara's black eye went away along with the bruises on her torso, but her old nightmares returned. They were the same ones over and over. Sara found herself paralyzed by fear and pain. In her dreams she couldn't get away he just kept beating her. She also had flashes of the previous times he attacked her. Once with a bat, times where he threw her down the stairs, the broken arms, and the broken ribs. She couldn't sleep without pushing past exhaustion until she simply collapsed. The worried looks from the staff continued but were less obvious. Catherine still thought it was her job to protect Sara like one of her children. Warrick and Nick felt like they should be her big brothers. Grissom was...Grissom. Everything seemed semi-back to normal. 

"Did you want to make a bet?" Warrick teased. 

"Bring it, my friend and prepared to be shut down." Nick shot back. 

"Now what are you wagering on? Another case?" Catherine asked as she walked through the door. She was wearing her typical tight pants and button-down blouse with matching jacket. 

"No, better. Warrick here says that Grissom has a pattern to assigning cases. Grissom usually never assigns Sara and you together. One of you is always with one of us. I bet he'll do it today. I heard some of what the cases are about tonight." Nick explained. 

"Oh, well I'll tell you now that he does do it, and tonight will be no different even if you do have inside info, which no doubt is a bluff. There's a reason for it," says Catherine. 

"Thank you! Finally!" Warrick laughed and shot a big smile up at Catherine. 

"Shut up would you! So why Catherine is it always that way. Please share your infinite wisdom." Nick pleaded. 

"Well Nicky, its a proven fact that when two women are put together we would put you boys to shame. That simple." --Catherine loved talking with the boys. They kept each other on their toes. 

--Just then Sara walked with her nose in another magazine She seemed to be separating herself more and more lately . "Ask Sara, she agrees with me." 

"What?" 

"That women are dangerously better than men." Catherine said. 

"Yep. That's why Gris never puts us two together," said Sara. 

"Hold up I think you're double teaming us, Cath." Warrick said. 

--They all broke into laughter except Sara, who didn't have a clue. Catherine filled her in over a drink before Grissom came in. 

--When Grissom came to the meeting he was a little late, which was odd. He looked stressed, almost ready to call it quits. They knew what was bothering him but opted not to mention it. Everyone knew how to make Grissom angry and that was to tell him he is wrong without the evidence or taking him off a case without getting the suspect. The FBI case got under his skin, but no one dare said a word. 

"I'm going to make this brief. There was a gun shot victim found by an six year old girl at the public swimming pool near the new housing development. Warrick, Catherine, I want you two over there as soon as possible. Nick, Sara you're with me; a robbery/homicide. Dismissed." 

--They all had a smirk on their faces when they left but Grissom was in the dark. He'd ask Nick on the way to the scene. Grissom never understood, or for that matter enjoyed, co-worker banter. 

--Nick drove to the crime scene with Grissom on the passenger side, and Sara was fast asleep in the back. Nick couldn't believe she could sleep on the way to a homicide. It was so exciting to him. Catching the bad guy was the greatest feeling ever. It was like a kid getting a treat before cake. He pulled the SUV in beside Brass's car. 

"Sara wake up. We're here." Grissom called behind him as he stepped out. She didn't move. "Sara," he said a little louder. Grissom opened the back door. It was embarrassing to have one of your CSIs too tired to work. "Sara," he called again. He lightly touch her shoulder, and she jumped awake scaring the both of them. 

"Sorry Grissom." 

"Haven't been getting enough sleep lately? Come on get your gear we have work to do." 

"Hey Grissom! I got info on the scene." Brass came walking up to them. "The husband is inside giving a statement to one of the officers. The thirty-two year old wife is upstairs apparently beaten to death. He claims he was at the gym. It looks like a robbery gone wrong." 

"Never judge a book by its cover." Grissom cautioned. "Sara you run the perimeter. See if there are any signs of breaking in. Nick you're upstairs, I'm going to meet the husband." 

--They separated in an instant at Grissom's command. 

--When Nick first stepped into the room he just couldn't believe what he saw. The woman was on her back. Bruises were all over her arms and face. Her head lay in a pool of blood, evidently the blow that killed her. Next to her body was the weapon of choice; a bat. It was stained with blood. Nick bagged it and moved on. He collected all he could then examined the body closer. There were defensive marks on her hands and forearms, showing a sign of struggle. It was a shame to see such bad things happen to people. 

--Sara completed the perimeter and found no sign of forced entry. She already had a feeling the husband was lying. She entered the house to help Nick with the evidence. 

"Sara...?" 

She almost died right there. "Eric Roberts." She held back the sudden stinging in her eyes, that she knew were tears. 

"You two know each other?" Grissom asked perplexed. 

"You could say that. Actually, I know Sara real well. Don't I Sara?" Eric was almost laughing at her. All she could do was leave, and help Nick. Work always helped calm her down. 

--She reached the top of the stairs and was out of breath. Eric Roberts was involved...no, committed murder. He was here. Not in her dreams but in her life. She wandered in to where Nick was hovering over the body. She took one look at that woman and felt sick. That woman could have been her; Sara could have prevented Eric from hurting another the way he hurt her. She couldn't breathe. She dropped her kit and ran. She needed air, now. 

--Nick looked on in surprise. He rushed out the bedroom door after her, but she was already down the steps and out the front door. 

"Sara!" He yelled. 

--Grissom, who noticed the commotion, looked up to Nick for answers as to why Sara fled the scene, but got nothing. He was as shocked as Grissom. 

"Sara wait!" 

--Sara ran out the door. The blinding light hit her and she took two steps back right into Grissom. She heard his voice but it was too distant to make out the words. Her lungs no longer took in air. She couldn't breathe. She started to get lightheaded and dizzy. Sara started to fall and fall hard. Grissom caught her and lead her to the sidewalk to sit down. 

"Sara breathe deep slow breaths. Nice and slow. Sit down and keep your head down." 

--Sara tried so hard to listen, but when she tried her chest only felt like it constricted more. She lifted her head up to the sky for air. The light was so painful. 

"No Sara keep your head down. Sara, breathe, breathe, breathe..." Grissom was starting to get worried that she would never calm down and contemplated calling an ambulance, then her breaths got slower. 

"Are you okay," Grissom had a look of deep concern on his face when Sara peered up. 

"I'm fine...just a little out of...breath." She forced a smiled but Grissom knew it was fake. Instead of a smile, he threw back a look of doubt. She was prepared for the question and got an unexpected one. 

He was hunched down in front of her. "What happened to your knee?" He saw a dark red stain leaking through her jeans. He went to lift her pant leg, she jumped back, and smoothed her jeans. 

"I must have hit it on the way down the steps. Look Grissom, I'm really sorry. I don't know what happened. I just couldn't breathe in there." 

"Does this have anything to do with Mr. Roberts?" 

"No. I barely know him." 

"He claims to know you real well." 

"Old flame really nothing more. Grissom I won't let it happen again, you have my word." 

"I want you to get some rest. Call me, I'll keep you updated for now." 

"You not going to take me off the case are you? Gris I can handle this. What happened had nothing to do with the scene or Eric. It must have been too stuffy in there; the heat got to me is all. Gris, please?" 

"We'll see. For now go home." 

"You won't tell Nick, will you?" 

"No. Get some rest." 

--Grissom got an officer to take her home. He knew something was wrong. It wasn't just the heat, it was Eric Roberts. 

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	4. Chapter 4

THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS. I HOPE YOU LIKE IT. I TRY TO WRITE AS QUICK AS I CAN, I KNOW WHAT ITS LIKE TO READ A STORY AND BE LEFT DANGLING! 

Chapter 4 

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--Warrick and Catherine arrived at the scene. It was a mad house; parents lined the block looking for their kids. Catherine felt a pang of sympathy, she would do the same for Lindsay. David was already there and on his way out. 

"Time of death was about five hours ago. You guys have fun." David hurried out. 

"Well, lets do it." Warrick said with almost a sigh. 

--The little girl who found the body was with her parents and one of the officers. She looked so young to burden such a heavy load. Finding a dead man is not the type of the thing a six year old should see. 

"I'll go talk to the girl and the family, see what I can gather." Catherine grabbed her gear. 

"Okay I'll be with the body." Warrick said. 

"Hi I'm Catherine Willows with the Las Vegas Crime Lab and I'd like to ask some questions." 

"Make it brief my daughter has been through enough." The father held a protective arm around his family's shoulders. 

"Hi what is your name?" 

"Laura White." 

"That's a pretty name. Listen I want you to help me because I'm a little confused. Could you help me?" 

The little girl looked up to her father, who gave a short nod. "Yeah." 

"Do you come here often?" 

"Yes when its real hot." 

"Have you seen this man here a lot?" Catherine showed the girl a picture of the man. 

"Yeah, he always picks the same spot by the pool to lay. But he is real mean. He yells at me and my friends when our ball rolls over there. And today he got real upset because I took his spot to play with my Barbies. I don't like him." 

"Today did you notice anyone with him or talking to him?"  
"No not really. Is that okay?" 

"Oh that's fine, you don't have to know. How did you find the man?" 

"I went home when he yelled at me, but I came back to play with Ashley, she's my best friend. Our beach ball rolled over there but he never moved. I went to go get it when I saw the blood." The girl turned around and cried into her mother's shirt. "I think you are done." Mr. White said. 

"Thanks for your cooperation. Thank you Laura for your everything, it helped me a lot." 

--Catherine found Warrick leaning over the body. It was found near the edge of the bushes just outside the swimming area. He was lying face down on a beach towel with a single gunshot wound to the back of the head. He was dressed in swimming trunks and was burnt from hours in the sun. Beside him lay his wallet, watch, sunscreen, and water bottle. Warrick bent down for a closer look. He found long hairs on his shorts and legs. He took a few for Greg back at the lab. 

"What do ya got?" 

"Looks like a hair. Its long and blond." Warrick smiled over to Catherine. 

"Its not mine." She smiled back. "The girl that found him didn't see anyone with him." 

"Check this out. His watch and wallet were never touched; still has fifty bucks in it." 

"Rules out robbery." 

"Why do you shoot someone and not bother to take the man's money?" 

"Revenge, anger, there are lots of reasons we just have to find it." 

"Why do you think Nick thought Grissom would assign this case to you and Sara?" 

A big smile spread across Catherine's face. "He's a bad bluff is all." 

"Oh yeah, and what do you know about bluffing?" 

"Enough to make even your head spin." 

"Is that right, you what to test my skills? Or can't you handle this." 

"Watch yourself, you don't know what I can handle Warrick. That's dangerous territory." She never smiled so big. "Well I'm going to check the vic's car, I'm sure he has one." 

"Okay, I finish up here." 

--Warrick found a second hair on the body, but it was short and looked more like a fiber than a hair. Under the body the towel was soaked in blood. In his wallet, along with the money, was his driver's license. The man's name was Henry Golding from Las Vegas. There was no pictures of family, friends, or even a dog. Warrick got a feeling that he wasn't exactly outwardly friendly. 

--At the car Catherine didn't find anything conclusive. Other than more money; more than the average person would carry around. Catherine knew she was dealing with someone with power. She couldn't wait to process the guy's wallet. She walked over to join Warrick again. 

"Listen I going to go back to the lab, do you want me to take Greg the hair samples?" Catherine asked. 

"Yeah that would be great. I think I'll catch up with you later. I want to check this address on his I.D. I will see you later won't I?" 

"Why Warrick do you miss me that much?" 

Warrick scanned over her body. "I know how you get when you are solving a case. And of course." 

She shot back a smile as she crawled into the car. "We'll have to play a game of poker sometime so I know when you're bluffing. It should prove very interesting." 

________________________________________ 

--The man's house was more or less a mansion and was definitely on the good side of town. A woman, judging by her attire was the maid, answered the door. 

"Hi I'm Warrick Brown with the Las Vegas crime lab. Can I come in?" 

"Please. Mr. Golding isn't here right now but I'm sure he won't be long." 

"Actually we found Mr. Golding dead an hour ago." 

"Goodness." 

"Is there anything you can tell me about him that might be relevant. And I'll need your name." 

"Rose Jackson. I have worked with Mr. Golding for six years." 

"Does he have any family?" 

"No. Mr. Golding was too self-centered and greedy to love someone." 

--Warrick was taken back by her response and the woman noticed. 

"Mr. Golding was a bad man, but he paid well. I put up with him because I needed the money. No one liked him, not even his partners at the firm. All he cared about was money and what you could do for him. He was a damn good lawyer." 

"Where did he work?" 

"Swanson & Swiss Attorneys at Law. He was climbing the corporate ladder fast from what I understand." 

"Why did everyone hate him?" 

"Like I said he used people to get ahead in life, and was just a jerk if you don't mind me saying. I really don't know much else." 

"Thank you. I'll keep in touch if I have more questions." 

--After the maid left, Warrick went upstairs to search the bedroom. The place was huge and very clean; the maid did a very good job. He couldn't believe some where so rich and others struggled just to get by. There was nothing in the closet that could be a match to the fibers found on his body, but he took samples for comparison anyway. He really had nothing to go on. He hoped Catherine was having better luck. 

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"Listen Greg I need you to analyze these hairs as soon as you can. Don't put Grissom's in front of mine." 

"I never show favorites but he already gave me his and it is running as we speak. But since I'm such a great guy and I know you love me, I'll start processing them." 

"Thanks Greg." 

--Twenty minutes later Greg paged Catherine with the results. 

"That was fast." 

"Yeah well I'm running Grissom's again. The results were confusing. Anyway both of your hairs are non human. The blond one is a creature with four legs. Do you know what it is?" 

"Greg I don't feel like playing twenty questions." 

"Right. It is a dog's hair; a collie's hair to be exact. And the other hair wasn't even a hair. It was a processed satin fiber, made in clothing." 

"This is great, we're chasing after a collie in a expensive coat." Catherine sighed. 

"Talk about your wolf in sheep's clothing." Greg worked on the bad usage of words. 

"Well, thanks Greg. You better hurry with Grissom's results or he'll have your head." 

"He'll have my head anyway," he called after her. 

--Catherine met up with Warrick in the break room and told him the bad news. 

"Does the man have a pet?" Catherine asked confused. 

"Nope. I talked to the maid and he was alone for as long as she has worked for him. I'll take the fiber and find out were it was manufactured to see where that leads. With any luck something useful will turn up." 

"Fine. I'll check his background history with his law firm to see if a colleague or client had a beef with him." 

________________________________________ 

--Catherine interviewed a lot of people and each one had motive. They all had some reason to hate him, even his "friends". It seemed hopeless when Brass called with new info. 

"Hey Cath. How's it going?" 

"Don't ask." 

"I've got some interesting tidbits on your case." 

"I thought you were working with Grissom?" 

"They are at a dead end too, so I took a look at your case. I found that the day Mr. Golding was murdered he had a beef by the pool with one of the parents. They caused a lot of commotion." 

"Who was it?" 

"Mr. White, father of the little girl that found the body. And he was also a client of Mr. Golding four years ago." 

"What was the fight about?" 

"I don't know maybe you and Warrick should go talk to him." 

"Right. Thanks Brass." 

"No problem." 

--Catherine joined up with Warrick who was still running a trace on the fiber. He let it run though the network, while he went with Catherine. When they arrived at Mr. White's home, their first long haired clue came trotting up to them, with Mr. White close behind. 

"Can I help you?" 

"Yes we need to ask more questions. It seems you forgot to mention that you and the victim had an exchange of words before he was murdered. Do you mind telling us what it was about?" 

"Come in. Yes we had a fight. The man was being mean to my kid. All she did was take his spot by the pool and he yelled at her until she cried. She ran the whole way home. I went down there to set him straight. We conversed but then I left; that's all." 

"Did your dog accompany you?" 

"No." 

"Could you tell us about your legal affair with Mr. Golding four years ago?" Catherine inquired. 

"I wanted to sue my work for firing me after seven hard working years." 

"What was there reason for firing you?" 

"I believe they fired me because I threatened to expose the company for tax evasion. But that ass Golding turned the case around to benefit the company and himself." 

"Mr. White," Warrick said "we have reason to believe your dog was with you and that there was a bigger altercation than you lead us to believe. We will need to take a sample of your dog's hair to clear it." There was a brief paused. 

"That won't be necessary. Okay he was with me because I was afraid Golding would try something. That's the truth. The man was dangerous enough to make a child cry, so I took my dog with me. I still didn't kill him, it was broad daylight I couldn't kill him." 

"There was a period where he was unaccounted for by the life guard. Where were you at 4:35 p.m.?" 

"Here doing yard work. Ask my wife." 

"Thanks for your time." 

--Outside Catherine and Warrick regrouped. 

"This case is one dead end after another." 

"Patience Warrick. We'll catch the killer. I'm on the case and don't slack off 'til I catch my man." 

"I'd hate to piss you off." He said to her. 

"I'm driving. Let's go." 

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	5. Chapter 5

Chap. 5 

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--Grissom and Nick collected all the evidence and brought it back to the lab. On the way Nick asked about Sara. 

"What happened? I was collecting evidence and Sara came in, took one look at our vic, and ran." 

"She said the heat got to her." 

"Will she be okay?" 

"I sent her home and told her to call first before coming back. She looked pretty rough." 

"Lately she's been more distant from us and more tempermental. I mean she was always a loner and never laid back, but every time I try to make conversation she just goes back to reading that magazine. I asked her if anything was bothering her, but again she avoided me. I wish I had something that great to read. Everyone thinks that something is up." 

"Why didn't someone tell me that something might be wrong?" 

"We thought you could see it too. You'd have to be blind not to see. Besides you know what its like to confront Sara about herself. Its suicide." 

"When did you start noticing it?" 

"Around the first time she brought in that magazine. Whatever is in that thing sure grabs her attention." 

"What magazine is it?" 

"I think its an astronomy magazine, which doesn't make sense. Why would Sara read anything but forensics?" 

"Maybe its her diversion now. I did tell her to get one." 

"All I know, Sara just isn't Sara." 

_______________________________________ 

--Upon arrival Grissom and Nick split up. Nick went with the evidence and Grissom with the police reports on Eric Roberts. 

"Grissom! Wait up! I processed the murder weapon and it had Eric Roberts prints all over it. His were the only ones." Nick was so excited about moving forward. He hated stale cases with no leads. 

"I'd say that's enough to call Brass. I want to question him some more. Oh, and Nick, did you give Greg the samples of blood from the bat? I want everything I can get on this." 

"Yeah. He said he'd page us with the results." 

"Thanks Nick. I'll be in my office." 

--Grissom walked into his office. His eyes were on Eric Roberts police record, but his mind was on Sara. 

"I thought you were going to keep me updated. Liar." Speak of the devil. Sara sat there in one of the chairs smiling up at Grissom. She looked a little better, like she really did go home to sleep. The color returned to her cheeks like she ate something too. 

"I was going to do that now." Grissom lied. The truth was he wanted Sara as far from this case as possible. At least until he figured out what was going on. He hated being in the dark, but that is exactly how Grissom kept everyone else. "Besides weren't you supposed to call?" 

"Right, Gris," she teased. 

"I don't have anything new really. Nick lifted the suspects prints off the weapon, so Brass is bringing him in. Right now you can meet with Al to get the report on the victim. He's been backed up from day shift. Check back in later." 

"Will you call me for the interrogation? I want to be there." 

"I don't think its a great idea. I want you with the body. She'll tell us more than he will I have a feeling." 

"Fine." Sara picked up and left. Grissom's pager went off. It was Greg with the lab results on the blood. When he got there Nick was already hammering Greg for information. 

"Look Greg this is my case as much as it is Grissom's. Let me see the results." 

"I think Grissom should she them first." Greg was acting weirder than usual. He paced the lab and held the paper close to his chest so no one could see them. "Gris!" 

"What Greg? What does it say? Was there another blood sample under the victim's?" 

"Oh yeah, but I don't think its the killer's." 

"Greg give me the results." Grissom was loosing his patience quickly. This could pin down that cocky creep Eric Roberts. 

--Greg gave him the paper. Grissom took one look. 

"Greg something wrong with your results; run them again." 

"I did; four times. Its hers that is no mistake." 

"Would someone please fill me in." Nick said. 

--Grissom gave Nick the paper. "This can't be right. How did Sara's DNA get on the weapon?" 

"Nick did Sara touch the bat before you bagged it? Her knee was bleeding when I found her outside." 

"No I had it bagged way before she came upstairs. Besides I took two swabs of the bat: one of the wet blood and of the dry. The victim's blood had to be the wet sample. How is it possible that Sara's blood was on the murder weapon?" 

"Nick, Greg not a word to no one. Are we clear?" 

"Yeah boss." They said in unison. 

--Grissom practicly ran from the lab. He had to find answers and now was as good a time as any. He hid in his office reading over and over Roberts police record. There had to be a link to Sara in there. It must have been a while because Catherine got back from her scene and was standing at the door. 

"Grissom!" 

"What?" 

"I've been standing here asking you how your case is going. Didn't you hear me? We just got back from interviewing the girl that found the body and I dropped off some evidence with Greg. He finished them and now I'm on another goose hunt." Catherine looked at her friend of so many years and knew something was up. "What's wrong with you?" 

"Close the door." 

--Catherine knew it was bad, if Grissom asked to close the door. She didn't have a clue, but she was ready for whatever it was. He never shared much so she took advantage of this. She sat down across from him. 

"When we arrived at the scene Sara knew the husband, an Eric Roberts. Somehow they were involved years ago. She went to process the scene with Nick but had to run out of the house. When I found her outside, she was ready to pass out. I think she had an panic attack Catherine. It took me almost ten minutes to calm her down." 

"Wow. What did she say when you asked her what happened?" 

"She said the heat got to her. But Catherine there's more. Her knee was bleeding so I tried to lift her pant leg to look at it, but she tensed up and withdrew from me. Like she didn't want me to see her hurt. I'd never seen her like this, so I let her go." 

"What? Grissom something evidently bothered her to have a panic attack. Grissom I know this is more or less not your thing, but when I was in college I had a close friend that died of an overdose. Everyday I asked her if she was okay and she said she was fine. After her death I came across a poem by Stevie Smith and memorized it. Do you know what it said?" 

"No." 

" '_Nobody heard him, the dead man,  
But still he lay moaning:  
I was much further out than you thought  
And not waving but drowning.  
  
Poor chap, he always loved larking  
And now he's dead  
It must have been too cold for him his heart gave way,   
They said.  
  
Oh, no no no, it was too cold always  
(Still the dead one lay moaning)  
I was much too far out all my life  
And not waving but drowning_.' " Catherine sighed. "Grissom Sara might say she is okay but she's not. You shouldn't have let her go. It will only get worse." 

"It did. Greg processed the blood samples and her DNA was on the murder weapon. Nick swears that he bagged the bat before she arrived. So I came in here to read his police record and a big one it is." Grissom slid the folder over to Catherine. "He's had restraining orders from countless women for abuse and disturbing the peace." 

"Sara's not one of them though." 

"No but Sara I wouldn't see her going that way. Seven years ago he was put in prison for assault and attempted murder. The victim was not named." 

"You think the victim was Sara?" 

"I don't want to believe it, but yes I think its her." 

--The lines on Grissom's face grew deep with concern. Catherine could see what was going on and she couldn't believe it. It sure did explain a lot though. Sara always got overly involved in such cases, like Catherine was overly involved in cases dealing with children. She knew how it felt for a case to hit a nerve. All she could do was push on. It had to be twice as bad on Sara, since she kept everything bottled up. A lot like someone she knew, and he was sitting right in front of her. 

"Have you talked to her about your findings?" 

"No I just found out myself. I don't know what to do, Catherine. She is so independent and strong-willed. How could she allow someone to abuse her like that. Its so un-Sara." 

"I know but you don't really know her do you? No one does, and that is dangerous Gil. That means all these years she had to keep it to herself. You have to be careful with this one, she might clam up and never talk to anyone." 

"I want you to talk to her." 

--Catherine was shocked. "Why?" 

"You're a woman and very good with these things. Please, Cath." 

"Sorry Gil. I can be there, as I'm sure we all will if you need it, when you try to reach her but you have to do this. She's closest to you plus you've know her longer. Don't do it here wait 'til after shift. We will all go to breakfast." 

--"Grissom, I got the suspect he's waiting for you." Brass stepped through the closed door. "Sorry I had no idea you were between something. He's ready when you are." 

"Gil," Catherine looked at him as he stood up, "don't lose it in there. Keep you temper in check." 

"I'll be fine." Grissom replied, but Catherine knew there was no truth to it at all. 

_________________________________________________________________ 


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 

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--Sara used all the energy she had to keep from getting lost in that woman's battered face while Al explained the marks on the victim. Then she could only half listened to what he was saying to her. All she wanted to do was curl up in a corner and shut out the world. The contusions were all over her body: under her clothes, suggesting long term abuse, and the fresh ones on her face and arms from the attack. Sara hoped Eric got what was coming to him. She wanted to be with Grissom interrogating him. She almost protested when he sent her down here instead, but the last thing she wanted to do was draw more attention to herself. She couldn't understand what happened earlier. She just had to get out to get air. It was like someone was suffocating her. 

"Sara...?" 

--Breaking Sara from her thoughts she just put on a smile and said, "Sorry doc, its been a rough day." 

"I can tell. I put my summary in the folder along with the report. The blow that killed her was the one to the skull on the left side. Tell Grissom I'll be here if he has any questions." 

"Thanks doc." And Sara left. 

_______________________________________ 

--Grissom looked as his smug face and wanted to just... 

"Look you have no right to hold me here. You got nothing." Eric Roberts sat directly in front of Grissom and Brass was behind him. Eric just sat there with that cocky attitude. 

"So why isn't Sara joining us. I know she missed me." 

--Grissom almost reached over and clobbered the guy right in the face, but he didn't. "Sara is busy convicting you Mr. Roberts." 

"That's impossible I didn't do anything." 

"For losing your wife you sure don't seem to grief stricken." Brass said. "Of course you weren't too close, were you? There were six call from neighbors worried that you might be hitting your wife. Is this true?" 

"Come on. My neighbors are just angry we don't go to community functions. My wife and I had...disagreements that is all. I never hit her." 

"That is contrary to popular belief Mr. Roberts." Grissom was calm on the top but there was a hurricane under the surface. "You see we know about your previous relationships including the one that put you in prison for seven years. What did you do to make parole, Eric? Was it good behavior? Maybe you should have practiced good behavior on your wife." 

--Grissom started to stand up and approach the guy, but Brass put a hand on Grissom's shoulder. "Easy Gil." Grissom calmed back down. 

"Explain to me why your prints were on the murder weapon." 

"Simple. That baseball bat was mine. I go to hit a few on weekends. My prints should be all over it." 

--Grissom was pissed. This guy had an answer for everything and nothing seemed to get under his skin. Suddenly a man pushed into the room. 

"Mr. Grissom, I'm Mr. Roberts's lawyer Tom Keys, and I do believe you're done." 

"Thanks Grissom for the talk. Tell Sara I said hello." Eric pushed off the table with a grin on his face. All Grissom could do was let him go until he got more evidence. Never before did he want the evidence to go a certain way, then he met him and that was enough. 

"Wait here I'll get your things." Eric's lawyer went over to the counter. 

--Sara was walking right to him with her head in Al's report. He grabbed her arm, but no one seemed to notice that Sara was in a lot of pain. 

"How do your ribs feel? Your eye looks good. No hard feelings about our little incident a month ago." 

"You son-of-a..." 

"Shhh Sara I wouldn't want you to attract any attention. You do look good." He leaned in and forced his tongue in her mouth. 

--That was it Sara had enough, she pushed him off and punched him square in the nose. All the held back anger came out. Grissom heard the shuffling and it brought him out of the interrogating room. 

"You bitch!" Eric tackled Sara and he rammed her into the wall behind her. He started to kick her while she was on the ground. 

--Brass and Grissom reacted instantly and pulled him off of Sara. 

"Sara. Are you...?" Grissom couldn't even get his entire question out, when Sara jumped up and went after Eric. She kicked him right in the groin area. He let out a cry of pain but Sara didn't stop she kept going. She threw punches until her hands started to bleed. Grissom tried to hold her back, but was surprised at how strong such a small woman could be. Brass and Grissom finally pulled her off. 

--Everyone just stood around astounded at what just happened. Catherine, Warrick, and Nick came up by Grissom who was examining Sara. 

"Good for you Sara. I was wondering when you were going to fight back. It makes it more fun for me." Eric called over to her, as Brass took him away. 

--They all thought they Sara saw reach for her gun. Grissom grabbed her hand and held it tight. 

"Sara are you okay?" Catherine asked. 

--Sara didn't answer, she didn't move, or even breathe. She just watched him go then looked down at her hands. Her knuckles were black and blue and bleeding. 

"Would you go get Sara some ice and a first aid kit?" Grissom wasn't asking he was telling everyone to leave. 

"Sure. Don't worry Sara we'll get you cleaned up." Warrick said. And they all walked away. 

"Sara?" She didn't answer Grissom. "Let's find a place to sit down." 

"Let go." 

--Grissom stopped. "Sara you need to see a doctor." No one could take a beating like that and be fine. 

"Let go, now Grissom." 

--He couldn't do it . He really didn't want to let Sara go. He was afraid she wouldn't come back. 

"Sara we can talk about this you don't need to be alone." 

"Let go!" 

--Sara shoved Grissom away from her and hurried past him. He went to reach for her but she avoided his grasp. 

"Sara?!" Grissom yelled. 

--She stormed past Catherine, Warrick, and Nick who held up the gauze and ice pack. 

"Hey Sara..." Nick started to go after her, but Catherine stopped him. 

"Let her go Nick." 

--Catherine looked back to Grissom who now had his head down. He picked up the file Sara dropped, probably on her way to bring it to him, and walked away. 

______________________________________________________________ 


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 

________________________________________________ 

"I'm calling a meeting. I want everyone there." Grissom interrupted their thoughts. Their thoughts of Sara. 

--They all gathered around the table and slowly sat down to find out what Grissom had to say. Warrick looked mad, Nick worried, and Catherine was withdrawn. These are the faces Grissom had to look into when he sat down. He knew how each one felt. No one knew where Sara went or what she would do. He tried calling her apartment twice, but got no answer. 

"Listen up. I need updates. Catherine, Warrick? How is your case coming? Any suspects?" 

"Grissom how can you expect us to finish a case, when Sara needs us. Screw this job. I'm going to find her." 

"Sit down Warrick," Catherine remarked. "You won't do any good running around looking for her if she doesn't want to be found." Warrick took his seat. 

"Grissom what happened? Who was that guy?" Asked Nick. 

--Catherine responded because Grissom was in his own little world; no doubt with Sara. "He was an old boyfriend of Sara's. He treated her pretty bad Nick." 

"We should have left her shoot the bastard." Warrick chimed in. 

"That would only make things worst. Sara would loose her job and be behind bars right now." Catherine explained. "We should try calling her." 

"I tried two times; she's not there or not picking up." Grissom said who still stared into space. He suddenly snapped out of it. "Right now the best we can do is finish our shift then find Sara. Everybody clear. Warrick, Catherine tell me about the gunshot victim." 

--With a heavy sigh Catherine said, "Right now we have no real sure suspects. The girl that found him said she just stumbled on him when looking for her ball beach ball." 

"He was shot in the back of the head. We found fibers on his clothes that are only present in a custom made jacket sold only in five very expensive department stores. I was cross-checking them when...it happened." Warrick appeared tired and Grissom knew it wasn't from no sleep. 

"What about your case, Grissom? Is there any way we can pin this prick Eric?" Catherine asked. 

--Silence filled the room to the point where it was almost deafening. "Sara went down to process the body and found some very interesting evidence. The victim had fresh track marks between her toes, and there were used needles in the trash. It seems Mr. Roberts must have picked up a bad habit while in prison. Al dated the tracks to be only a few hours old. --Anyway, not only were his prints on the bat, which he accounts for, there were prints on her feet and needles as well." 

"Which means...?" 

"That he has been drugging her regularly and recently." 

"Grissom, I am sorry but that proves nothing." 

"It proves everything, Nick. It proves Eric Roberts was there when she was murdered not at the gym. That's our timeline." 

_______________________________ 

--Her knuckles looked like they hurt like hell. They were badly swollen and many shades of purple. She knew for a fact that if Grissom wouldn't have stopped her she would have kept hitting Eric until she broke her fingers. But she couldn't feel anything, she was numb. Even when Grissom touched her hands, she did not flinch. Her whole body was numb; comfortably numb. She was driving on a single stretch of highway in the middle of the desert. Somewhere between Clark County, Nevada and Henderson County, California Sara turned around. 

_______________________________ 

--Grissom sat alone in the break room going over the events of the day. He never wanted so badly to take away someone's pain. Catherine and Warrick went to interview a possible suspect, and Grissom sent Nick back to the crime scene to collect anything they could have missed. 

"Grissom..." 

--He looked up and there she stood. Her hands had dried blood on them and she looked so tired. Her eyes had no life, only reflections of pain and anguish, and were red from crying. He didn't know which was appropriate: run over and comfort her or give her space. 

"Grissom...I'm sorry I pushed you. I didn't mean it. I'm sorry." 

"Sara," he didn't know what to say, "don't worry about it." He got up and crossed the room to her. He thought she might back away but she just broke down in tears. Grissom held her tight. Sara didn't know what to do but cry. She was so exhausted and the numbness was replaced with pain. She ached from head to toe and she couldn't stop shaking. 

"I didn't know where to go." She said between sobs. 

"You're okay now. You're safe." 

--His words were comforting, because he truly sounded concerned. It seemed his wall was dropped too, when Sara cried. He no longer kept her at a distant like he had for so many years, instead he just held her close. Then her crying suddenly stopped like she couldn't go any more and pushed herself away. Grissom stood holding her arms and looked down at her hands. 

"Let me bandage your hands." Sara didn't say a word, she let Grissom lead her over to the sink. He took out the first aid kit from the overhead cabinet and the ice pack from the mini-fridge, and sat her on the sofa. When he dabbed her hands with antiseptic she winced at the stinging pain. He noticed she held herself like she was in a great deal of pain. 

"Lift your shirt. Let me see if your ribs are broken." 

"Their not. It just hurts. I'm fine." 

--Grissom remembered his conversation with Catherine and the poem she recited. "No Sara, you're not. Let me help." 

--Sara hesitated. She slowly rolled up her shirt to show him her back and side. What he saw pained him as if it was his own body. She was black and blue were he kicked her, but nothing appeared broken. He decided to take her to the hospital to get examined. 

"You can put your shirt down. I want you to take these. They will dull the pain for now, then I want us to go the hospital to get you checked out. Okay?" 

"Okay." 

--On the way to the hospital Sara didn't say a word which worried Grissom very much. She just stared out the window. He wanted her to be comfortable enough to talk to him, but she had already encased herself in her protective shell that no one could get through. When they arrived at the hospital she never got out of the car. Grissom went around to help her out when she finally said something. 

"You know don't you? About me and Eric. You read his police record and know I was the one that sent him to prison." 

"I suspected that was the case. But what made me look at his file was the fact that we found your DNA on the bat that was used to kill his wife. A month ago, when you said you hit your head on the sink while getting out of the shower, it was him wasn't it? He came after you." 

"Yeah." 

"I cross referenced his arrival in Las Vegas; it was one month ago. Why didn't you tell me?" 

"You wouldn't understand, besides it was none of your business Grissom. My past is just that, mine." 

--The car was silent. "Let's get you checked out." 

_____________________________________________________ 


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 

_____________________________________________ 

"Mr. Grissom." 

"Yes, right here." 

"My name is Dr. Phillips and Sara is doing fine. There are no broken bones. I gave her a sedative for the pain. She will be sore for a few days, but other than that she'll be fine." 

"Can I see her?" 

"Sure come with me." 

--When they walked in Sara was already dressed and leaving. 

"Mrs. Sidle I'm not releasing you." 

"I don't care I'm fine now, and I'm going." 

"I would hardly call such severe bruising fine." The doctor said. 

"Sara stay here. There is nothing to be done at work. You need to rest for a change." 

"I don't care. I can rest at home." Sara answered coldly. 

"Ms. Sidle I want you to meet with the hospital's psychiatrist. It will help." 

--Sara looked like she could have killed the woman, so Grissom stepped in right there. "Doctor I don't think that is a wise idea. Let me talk to her." 

"I'll leave you two alone." And the doctor left before she would become a victim of Ms. Sidle's wrath. 

"Grissom don't go there, I'm leaving. I hate hospitals. They never helped me before." 

"Sara I know you're angry..." 

"I just want to go home Grissom, please just let me go home." 

--Grissom couldn't argue with her pleading, but he knew she shouldn't be alone. She was dangerous, mainly to herself, and unpredictable. Grissom wanted the old Sara back, but he knew now that before that was just a cover-up. Catherine was right, they were best friends and didn't know each other at all. Probably the majority of it his fault. The old saying being you have to give a little to get a little. 

"Fine." 

--The car was silent for the whole trip except when Grissom made a wrong turn. 

"Grissom you missed my turn. I live back that way." Sara said pointing. 

"I'm not taking you to your apartment, you're going to stay with me. I'll sleep on the couch." 

"I don't need you to baby-sit me. I can take care of myself." 

--For some reason Grissom lost it, he pulled the car to a stop. "Sara if you can take care of yourself, why did you let that jerk hit you. If you can take care of yourself, why did you think you could handle this on your own. Why didn't you tell me! I would have helped!" Grissom was yelling. 

--Sara responded with just as much anger. "What the hell do you care, you're too busy with your nose in a microscope all the time. Look I didn't let him hit me, its not like I signed a consent form for abuse. So go to hell, Grissom!" 

--Grissom wanted to take it all back. What he said hurt her, and she hurt him in return. He didn't even know why he was angry. He wished she never met Eric Roberts. She sat staring out the window, Grissom could see her reflection and thought he saw tears. 

"I'm sorry that was inappropriate. I know you didn't 'let' him hurt you. Sara I'm so sorry." 

"Just forget it." 

________________________________________ 

--Warrick finally got a lead off the fiber. It turns out that a man by the name of Thomas Yearling was also in the swim area that day on business. 

"Tell me why you were in town?" 

"Business meeting." 

"Why were you at the swimming pool over in Renfrew, at the new housing development?" 

"I told you, I had business." 

"With who?" 

"You know him, a Mr. Golding. Me and him go way back." 

"How far back?" 

"Far enough." 

--Warrick was pissed he wasn't getting more than brief sentences out of the guy. "Are you aware that your suit is custom-made." 

"Yes, I only wear the best. Appearances are the first judgment." 

"Yeah I know you even look like a killer." Warrick commented dryly. 

--Catherine walked in with a folder in hand. She sat down beside Warrick and shot him a cool glance. She had something. 

"Mr. Yearling I'm Catherine Willows, and your under arrest." 

--Warrick couldn't believe her boldness. That's what he loved about her. 

"Due to what evidence." 

"Well for starters, the custom-made jacket I believe my partner was discussing, places you at the murder. Second we also have the gun that you used to shoot him. You see, bullets are very specific to the gun, and what do ya know yours matches the bullet dug out of Mr. Golding's skull. Deputy arrest Mr. Yearling." 

"That son-of-a bitch sentenced my sister to death. Instead of helping her sue those bastards at the HMO for better treatment, he prolonged the case until it was too late. He became rich then turned around and worked for the HMO. He deserved what he got, I don't take it back." Yearling exclaimed. 

--The deputy lead him away. "Catherine...good work. I thought we weren't going to get him. I wasn't too sure about my fiber. It was just an assumption. He could have denied it and I would've let him go." 

"Well I don't feel like we did society any favors. What he did was right in his eyes, and somehow I think I would have done the same thing." 

"No Catherine you wouldn't have." 

"Think about it, what if that was your loved one. Think of Sara's situation. What Eric did to her...it would not be an injustice if someone beat him for a change." 

"Don't remind me. Look I'm leaving its been a very long day. Do you want to get some breakfast?" 

"That would be great. I think I need it." 

Nick joined the two before they parted. 

"Hey guys. How's your case?" 

"Just solved it. What about you?" 

"Found some great evidence against Eric Roberts. I can't wait to tell Grissom. Have you seen him?" 

"No he was here when we left. Try calling him." 

"Right. Where are you two headed?" 

"Breakfast. Do you want us to wait for you? Maybe Grissom will join us too." 

"No you go ahead I want to nail Eric before I go home, but it would be great if you could get me something to eat. I'm starved." Nick continued, "Has anyone heard from Sara?" 

"No. I'm real worried too Nick." Catherine answered. "I wish she would just let us know she is okay." 

"Yeah. I know." Warrick sighed. They were all feeling the strain. Nick interrupted their thoughts. 

"I got to find Grissom. Maybe he has heard from her. See ya." 

"Later Nick. Let us know what's up." 

"Alright." 

______________________________________________________________ 


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 

____________________________________________________ 

--Grissom couldn't help but watch her. Sara finally fell asleep. They were talking, actually it was only him that was talking, about beetles, when he glanced over and she was asleep. A single strand of hair fell across her face. Her breathing was slow and soft. She shifted uneasily; her pain shown on her face. Grissom went to the hall closet to get the heating pad to lay across her back. He gently placed it on her back and covered her up. He sat beside her unable to take his eyes off her. He brushed the hair softly off her face. He was surprised how soft and warm her skin was. He felt unlike himself; he never wanted this to end. Grissom wanted to keep her safe forever. His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the ringing of his cell phone. He stepped out of the room closing the door behind him. 

"Grissom." It was Nick, more than likely with an update. 

"Hey I just was looking for you, where are you?" 

"Sara came back to the office after everyone left." 

"Good I'm glad she is with someone. How is she doing?" 

"Better. We went to the hospital and nothing was broken. What did you find?" 

"I combed over the scene. The first thing I realized I missed was the smell of bleach. It was directly concentrated on the back wall opposite the bed. I swabbed the wall and gave it to Greg to analyze. Guess who's blood was on it?" 

"Eric Roberts?" 

"Bingo. The angle of the spatter suggests high velocity resembling a gunshot. Which for a while didn't make sense. The victim wasn't shot and Eric wasn't wounded, or maybe just didn't appear wounded. Grissom I think his wife shot him. Of course, judging by the amount of blood on the wall she only grazed him; its probably just a flesh wound." 

"If you want to prove your theory Nick, you better find the bullet with his blood on it. In the meantime I'm going to confront Eric Roberts." 

"All right I'm gone. Tell Sara I said 'hey'." 

"Okay. Bye." 

--Grissom checked back in on Sara who was still fast asleep. It was probably the pain killers; Sara never slept that soundly as far as he could tell from her work habits and naps in the breakroom. He really wanted to stay and just watch her sleep, but he wanted to catch the creep that did this to her first. He bent down and gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek. 

"Right back, I promise." 

_______________________________________ 

--Nick first went to the evidence room and tested the victim's nightgown for gunpowder residue. After it tested positive, he was gone. Nick had a theory and couldn't wait to test it. 

"Warrick, Catherine whatsup?" 

"You decided to join us. Pull up a chair." 

"No. I need your help. Can I run a theory of mine by you, Grissom's busy." 

"Sure Nick. Let's hear it." 

_______________________________________ 

--Grissom stood there behind the two-way mirror loathing Eric Roberts. It turns out Sara broke his nose; good. Eric paced the room once or twice trying to see through the glass. What an ass. 

"Gil you ready?" Brass asked. 

"Yes. Very ready." 

--Once Grissom entered the room Eric stopped pacing. 

"Have a seat. Now." Brass demanded. Everyone was hit a little too close to home when Sara was hurt. 

"Eric Roberts. You are aware that assaulting an officer is prison time. And tacked on to your murder charge that's fifty years, without parole." It was Grissom's turn to get under his skin. 

"My lawyer will be joining us momentarily. So hold your allegations 'til later." 

"These aren't allegations. These are facts and I have all the proof I need. You see my colleague, Nick Stokes, found some very intriguing evidence that tells us what really happened that night." 

--Nick waltzed in with a Texas grin on his face. "How's is going boss? You didn't start without me did you?" 

"No Nick, its all yours." Grissom waved his hand. "Proceed." 

"Feel free to jump in anytime I am incorrect. This is what happened that night. You and your wife were shooting up in your bedroom, against her will. Around the time she passed out you went for an alcohol run and paid for a large amount of liquor by credit card. Your wife was upstairs now fully conscious and waiting for you to come home. She had a gun and was going to kill you." Nick stopped, "I'm not moving too fast am I." Before Eric could answer, Nick started up again. "Then let me continue. I'm guessing you got pretty wasted, hell you didn't even know you were shot. Isn't that right, of course she did miss. She didn't manage to kill you but she did graze you. That's when you lost it and proceeded to murder your wife in cold blood. Is that accurate by your account Eric?" 

"That's all bullshit! I want my lawyer now!"  
--It was Grissom's turn. "Mr. Roberts I have here fingerprint records that ultimately place you at the scene when your wife was murdered. Your blood was found on the wall, gunpowder residue was present only on your wife's nightgown, and here is the bullet we dug out of the bathroom wall by the toilet with your blood on it. And if you will please remove your shirt." 

--Eric didn't move. "No." 

"Remove it or I will remove it for you." Brass stood over him ready to kick the crap out of him. 

--When Eric complied, there it was the flesh wound from the bullet on his side. 

"I don't think that your lawyer will help you out of this one." Grissom sneered. 

"Get him out of here, now." Nick ordered. 

"With pleasure." 

--Outside Warrick, Catherine, and Greg beamed with pleasure. 

"Did you see his face that was poetic," Warrick laughed "I loved it. He was so buried in evidence he didn't have a chance." 

"Hey!" Eric yelled over to the group. "She deserved it, she was nothing but a bitch." 

"You just never quit. She's dead man and you're off to prison." Warrick called back. 

"I wasn't talking about my wife, I was talking about Sara." Eric smiled because he knew it pissed them off. Especially Grissom and he used that. "Ask her how she felt after I pushed her down the stairs or hit her, I bet she won't tell you. Sara is still mine and she knows it." 

--Grissom almost lost all restraint. No one ever saw Grissom so angry. Warrick's and Nick's hands were on his shoulders holding him back from killing the bastard right there. 

"Let it go Gris, he's just saying that because we got him." Nick said. 

"Its over Gil, Sara will be fine. How is she?" Catherine asked trying to distract him. Grissom watched Brass pull Eric away. "Fine. I'm going to go you should all go home and get some rest." 

"Yeah. This was the worst case I have ever done." Nick said staring at the floor. 

"Keep us posted. And take your own advice, Gris. Catherine do you need a ride?" 

"Yeah, that would be great. Call me if you need to talk and I mean it Grissom." 

"Right." 

--Grissom needed to talk but it wasn't with Catherine it was with Sara. 

_______________________________________________________ 


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 

________________________________ 

--Grissom came through the door of his apartment intent on seeing Sara. She had to talk to someone, anyone or Eric was right along. Grissom didn't want him to be right. Sara was still in on his bed sleeping. He decided to make something to eat. He was starved and he knew Sara had to be. He always worried about Sara, it seemed she needed to be worried about. She never ate unless you begged her, her sleeping habits were awful, and she was very private. There was no way she would share anything without twisting her arm. Once he asked how she felt after a bad case of the flu, and she said she was fine. Five minutes later she was throwing up again. 

"Hey. I thought I heard you. What are you doing?" 

"Making us something to eat." Pleased to see him. 

"I'm not hungry, thanks. Grissom where did you go?" 

"Don't thank me you're still going to eat. You need your energy. How did you sleep?" 

"Okay." 

"Just okay? It seemed like you were out of it." 

"Nope. Dreams." 

"Dreams or nightmares?" 

"Grissom I don't want to do this. Not now. And you still haven't answered my question, where did you go?" 

--Grissom knew this was coming, Sara had the right to know. Grissom thought it might help too. "Nick found conclusive evidence and we confronted Eric. Its over, we got him for murder. Fifty years maybe more." 

"Great serves him right." 

--Grissom expected something more than just a sentence. "How do you feel? Any better?" 

"A lot better." 

"Good I want to talk to you." Grissom knew what was coming. 

"Whatever. Grissom you could have come up with something less original to say. And what are you making, sense I have to eat it." 

--Grissom wasn't happy with the subject change but went with the flow. "Omelets." 

"Sounds good." 

"Sara?" 

"Yes." 

"Tell me why you won't tell me about Eric." 

--Sara's answer was short and cold. "Its none of your business." 

"Yes it is. I care about you, so it makes it my business." The words seemed to surprise both Grissom and Sara. He has never before mentioned any type of feeling towards Sara. But when he said it, it all seemed right. 

"You care? You, Gil Grissom, care about something that has nothing to do with science. This is a first." 

--Grissom was prepared for the stubbornness, anger, and hate. He knew it wasn't going to go smoothly. "Don't turn this around Sara. I want to know about you. The nightmares, what happens in them?" 

"I'm leaving." Sara headed for the door, but Grissom wasn't going to let her off that easily. 

"No you're not. Please Sara." He pleaded. His blue eyes were full of deep concern. 

"Fine. You want to know about my nightmares I'll tell you. In each one that bastard hits me over and over and over again. I get flashes of memory that make it all more real. I want to hit him but I can't move. They all end the same way with me lying on the floor looking up at him. That's what they are all about. There are you satisfied." Tears started to well up in her eyes. 

"No. Never think your pain is satisfying to me." 

--She started to cry into her hands. "Grissom it hurt so bad." 

"I know. Its okay." He said going to her. 

"I hate _this_ Grissom. I HATE HIM!" Sara shouted. "I HATE HIM!" 

"Sara its okay." Grissom said trying to calm her down. "Its over." 

"I hate him so much. I really do." She sobbed into his shirt. For hours they didn't say one word. He held her and she cried. 

__________________________________ 

3 weeks later 

--Sara got better for the most part, everyone knew it would be a long term thing. She never mentioned that night she cried because she thought it made her too vulnerable and that was something she was tired of being. Her nightmares started to subside but sometime she still woke up in a panic dripping sweat. The cases she solved were never personal or she just made it look impersonal. Grissom was always close by with a concerned look on his face. But oddly enough she avoided Grissom as much as she could. After a particularly long case involving in the end an accidental death Grissom found Sara outside sitting on one of the benches. The case had nothing to do with Sara but he could no longer tolerate the silence between them. She was looking up to the sky almost as if she were wishing on a star. He decided to break the ice between them with something light. 

"This is your diversion; brain teasers?" Grissom held up her magazine. "This is why you ignored everyone. Nick was hurt that you would rather read than cut down his ego." 

--She turned around somewhat pleased he found her. "He'll survive. And don't act so surprised its kinda like your crossword puzzles. They challenge me. I haven't done them since college really. I forgot how fun they were." 

--Grissom couldn't help but stare, she was so...wonderful. All that she went through and she was still the most wonderful person he knew. She never lost her compassion or lovely tenderness. She looked up to the stars again that where glittering overhead. It was perfect. 

"It is so beautiful." Sara said. 

"I know." Grissom replied without taking his eyes off Sara. 

"Grissom," 

"Yeah." 

"Thanks." 

"For what?" 

"Don't analyze it, just say 'you're welcome'." 

"Sara you are welcome. Sara," 

"Yes." 

Grissom tried putting what he felt into words. "I'm sorry. For what happened to you. I wish I could have been there for you." 

"Grissom believe it or not you were." 

"I don't mean a couple weeks ago. I mean I wish I met you sooner so that I could help." 

"Do you remember the first time we met?" 

"Of course. At the seminar I was hosting." 

"I didn't want to go, you know. I just got out of court that day and wasn't going to stay long so I started to leave. That's when I ran into you also leaving." Sara smiled. "I said I hated a crowd, and you said, I think, that you hated a crowd of uneducated people more." 

"Yeah, then I invited you for coffee. We ditched the rest of the seminar. They weren't to happy I 

left." Grissom smiled to himself at the memory. It was so out of his character to just...leave. 

"My point is Grissom, you were there for me, probably when I needed it most. Just like you are now." 

"I will always be there for _you_ Sara. You got me hooked the first time I laid eyes on you." 

"Grissom, the feeling is mutual." 


End file.
